Javicia Leslie Is Your New Batwoman
There will be a new superhero walking the streets of Gotham when Batwoman returns. Javicia Leslie has been cast as the new lead in The CW series for the upcoming second season, making history as the first Black woman to portray the iconic character on TV.
"I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,” Leslie said in a statement, per Variety. Over on Instagram, she dedicated her newest feat to "all of the little black girls dreaming to be a superhero one day…it’s possible."
For all of the little black girls dreaming to be a superhero one day... it’s possible!
A post shared by Javicia Leslie (@javicia) on Jul 8, 2020 at 3:55pm PDT
Leslie is best known for her role in CBS's God Friended Me, and appeared in the BET series The Family Business and the film Always a Bridesmaid. She will be taking the baton—err, cowl—from Ruby Rose, who played Kate Kane for the first season of the series and exited the show earlier this year due to challenges on set. Following the news, Rose congratulated Leslie on Instagram.
"OMG!! This is amazing!! I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman. ❤️ I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape," Rose wrote. "You are walking into an amazing cast and crew. I can’t wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing !!"
According to Variety, Leslie's character is Ryan Wilder—"likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed." A former drug runner who's already faced off against the Gotham City Police Department, Ryan now lives in a van with her plant—and "would steal milk for an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands."
Batwoman is slated to return in January at its usual Sunday night slot on The CW.
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